Stabr j



(No Model.)

` S. J. MURPHY.

SHELF.

No. 388,066.` Patented Aug. 21, 1888.

W2' zzesses/ I of@ @wf/WM @Ww We@ UNITED STATES PATENT rricn.

STARR J. MURPHY, OF MONTGLAIR, NEV JERSEY.

SHELF.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 388,066, dated August2l, 1888.

Application died February 24, 188B. Serial No. 265,105. (No model.)

To @Z5 whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STARR J. MURPHY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Montclair, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shelves, of whichthe following is a specification, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawings.

Figure l is a front elevation, partly in section, showing shelves havingmy invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a top or plan view of one end ofa shelf and its support, enlarged. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on linex rv, Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a detached view of a modified form of thesliding bolt.

The object of my invention is to provide a cheap and durablemeansforsupporting shelves in suitable positions in such manner thatthey can be easily moved or adjusted without detaching any part of theirfastening or supporting devices and without the use of any tools; and itconsists of certain novel features of construction and combination ofparts,whieh will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

Like letters indicate like parts in all the figures.

As illustrated in the drawings, the shelves are supported at their endsbetween two vertical posts or end pieces; but the character of thefastening devices is such that they are equally adapted for use inconnection with partitions which are arranged in verticalpositions,where it is undesirable that they should move either to theright or to the left.

A is the shelf, provided at either end with one er more mortises orrecesses, a.

B B are the vertical end pieces between which the shelf or shelves maybe supported. Each of these end pieces has upon its inner face one ormore mortises or recesses, b. By preference I attach lto the inner faceof each end piece a metal strip or plate, C, with one or more slots, c,corresponding substantially to the mortise or mortises or recesses b, inorder to furnish a better support for a locking plate or bolt, to behereinafter described, and also to prevent the recess or recesses frombeing worn or cut away by such bolt.

D D d d is a locking bolt or plate, the outer end, D', of which is bypreference rounded or beveled, as indicated.

d ci are stops, lugs, or spurs projecting laterally from one or bothedges of the lockingbolt.

E is a shell or casing of such size as will permit the locking bolt orplate to be seated therein and move freely endwise. e is a pin or studprojecting forward or outward from the rear wall or end of this easing,and entering a socket, d', in the locking-plate.

F is a coiled spring surrounding the stud or pin e, to force thelocking-plate outward until the spur or stop d engages with aguard-plate. G,whieh is secured to the end of the shelf, and has a slotthrough which the rounded end of the locking-plate projects.

From examination of the drawings it will be readily understood that whenthese locking-plates enter and are seated in the recesses b of the endpieces the shelves will be irnily supported in position against up anddown or sidewise movement, as the case may be; but they can be movededgewise for the purpose of putting them in place or withdrawing themfrom between the end pieces, because the engagement of their rounded orbeveled ends will crowd the locking plates inward, the springs Fthrusting the plates outward as soon as they are released from endwisepressure upon their outer ends. By rea-son of these locking plates beingmounted in recesses formed in the ends of the shelves, the upper andlower sides of the shelves may be made entirely smooth, so that there islittle or no wear upon the edges of the covers of books as compared withthat resulting from the use of shelves the fastening or locking devicesof which project from the sides of the shelves; and again, by reason ofthe locking-plates being attached to and carried by the shelves, thereis no danger of their being accidentally misplaced or lost during thehandling to which the shelves are ordinarily subjected during use ortransportation.

While I have shown what I consider the best mode now known to me forcarrying ont my invention, yet l do not wish to be limited to thedetails of construction here shown, because many modications willsuggest themselves to a skilled mechanic without departing from thespirit of my invention. For instance, the casings and locking-platesmight be applied to the upperor lower sides of the shelves; or one sidewall of the casing might be omitted, or,

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instead of one or more of the stops or lugs d, the locking-plate mightbe slotted, with a pin or rivet put through the slot and the casing tolimit the movement of the plate; or, instead of the guard-plate Gr, thecasing might be provided with a spur or lip (one or more) at its outerend, to be bent over into the path of the stop d after the locking-platehas been inserted within the casing; or, instead of a slidinglocking-plate, a pivoted plate or bar might be employed with a spring tothrust the swinging ends of the plate or bar into the recess in the endpieces. v

I am aware that a shelf has been hinged at v one end and provided at itsopposite end with a sliding latch adapted to take into an end piece, andprovided with a pin or thumb-piece projecting at right angles from theside of the shelf to withdraw the latch from its recess in the endpiece. I am also aware that a gate has been hinged at one end or sideand provided with a latch or locking bolt or plate beveled or roundedupon that side which is toward the side of the gate, so that when thegate is swinging sidewise upon its hinges the latch or locking-platewill engage with a recessed plate upon apost and be thrust back into thegate to permit the gate to swing into substantially the same verticalplane with said post; but in neither of these constructions is itpossible to move the gate or shelf bodily sidewise relativelytoitssupports,becauseof its beinghinged to one of them; nor in eitherthe shelf or the gate is the beveled or rounded edge of the latch-plateturned toward the edge of the gate or shelf; nor can either the gate orshelf be moved edgewise when placed between their supports, whereas inmy shelf the object of the invention is to permit it to be moved bodilysidewise and have both its ends supported in different positionsrelatively to the end pieces. It can be moved edgewise out and inbetween the end pieces. The lockingplates arey arranged with theirbeveled, rounded, orinclined faces toward the edges of the shelf, andwhen in their recesses in the end pieces the shelf is supported upon thesides of the locking-plates which are at right angles to their inclinedfaces, the shelves being in horizontal planes; but of course theoperation of the devices is substanA tially the same when applied topartitions which are capable of being moved bodily to the right or leftinto different vertical planes.

I am aware of Patent No. 255,771, which shows a door having its oppositeedges mounted in grooves the walls of which overlap both sides of thedoor adjacent to those edges, and

provided upon its edges with locking-bolts which `take into mortises orsockets formed in the grooved pieces adjacent to the grooves, but not inthat part of the wood which is adjacent to and facing the edges of thedoor. In such construction the function of the bolts is radicallydifferent from that of any locking-plates, because, among other things,mine support the shelf against being moved bodily sidewise, Whereas inthat patent the parallel walls of the groove thus support the door, andwould do so even though the bolts were absent. Again, the only functionof the bolts in the patent is to prevent the door from sliding edgewise,

whereas my latches are so constructed as to permit such edgewisemovement, ofering but little resistance thereto, the relation of partsbeing such that in ordinary use there is no tendency on the part of theshelves to move edgewise. In that patent the sole object of the bolts isto support the door at different heights, with the entire weight of thedoor-resting upon the bolts. Whenever in this patent I use the wordsidewise I refer to a movement of the shelf bodily toward or from theends of its supporting end pieces in contradistinction to a movementeither endwise or edgewise-such, for instance, as is employed in pushingthe shelf into position between its supporting end pieces or pulling itout from between them, or a swinging movement such as is common when oneend of a shelf is hinged to one of its supporting end pieces.

l. The combination, with the shelf and its supporting end pieces, ofmovable plates applied to both ends of the shelf and having theirinclined faces toward the front and rear edges of the shelves,substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the shelf and its supporting end pieces, ofmovable lockingplates seated in the recesses and between the i IOO

